Preparing for a coalition scenario

With the exercise series Quadriga 2025, the Bundeswehr, together with armed forces from 13 other nations, is practicing the protection of the Baltic Sea region under conditions of crisis and war. Approximately 8,000 German soldiers from the Navy, Army, Air Force, Cyber and Information Space, and Support Area will participate in several major exercises in Germany, along the NATO eastern flank, and in the Baltic Sea during the core exercise period from August to September 2025.

After training the capabilities of the Bundeswehr and interoperability with partner forces mainly in the air (2023) and on land (2024) in the past years, the focus for 2025 is on the maritime dimension. For this reason, the Navy is leading the organization of the exercise. A particular focus is on the maritime sub-exercise Northern Coasts. The Naval Command in Rostock bears overall responsibility for the planning and execution of Quadriga 2025.

The core objective of the exercise series is to increase the operational readiness of the Bundeswehr and thus contribute to national deterrence. An integral part of this is the logistical support of land forces. For Quadriga 2025, the deployment of troops and equipment via sea, land, and air to Lithuania will be practiced to directly support NATO partners in the multinational framework in defending the eastern flank (exercise component Grand Eagle). The focus areas include transportation via various modes such as road, rail, and sea (exercise component Brave Blue), where the logistical network in a host country will also be trained. Another key area is the supply of fuel (exercise component Safety Fuel) and other goods in Lithuania, along with the protection of essential defense infrastructure.

The spectrum of exercise projects also includes the clearing of sea mines and protection against multidimensional adversarial threats above and below the water as well as from the air (exercise component Northern Coasts). The Navy is supported by the Air Force (exercise component Air Mag Day). Even before the transport ships set sail, civilian authorities and police forces are involved. This underscores once again that the transportation of personnel and material through Germany is a nationwide and societal task to be managed.

Another focus of Quadriga 2025 is on medical services at sea. This includes casualty transport and cooperation with civilian health service actors on land (exercise component Role2Sea). The goal is to ensure an uninterrupted rescue chain under challenging conditions with a high number of casualties - from sea to land.

The defense against drones and the use of newly procured equipment for this purpose is firmly integrated into all phases of Quadriga 2025. At the same time, special forces from various NATO nations and the Bundeswehr will be conducting exercises in Finland (exercise component Silver Dagger), as well as the homeland security forces of the Army and reserve forces of the Navy in Germany, focusing on the protection of essential defense infrastructure (exercise component National Guardian). At the operational level, Quadriga 2025 is commanded by the newly established Operational Command of the Bundeswehr, which was set up on April 1, 2025.